The Hitchhiking Bunny
by StoryCrusader
Summary: "It was a rainy night, the rain descending in a heavy torrent as the unknowing rabbit drove steadily down the countryside road. It was the witching hour of the night, where the dead come to haunt the living—" Nick decides to tease Judy about ghosts on their way to Bunnyburrow, but things get interesting when they pick up a hitchhiker...


**Hey, all, StoryCrusader here with a Halloween themed one-shot. Hope you enjoy!**

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"It was a rainy night, the rain descending in a heavy torrent as the unknowing rabbit drove steadily down the countryside road. It was the witching hour of the night, where the dead come to haunt the living—"

"Okay, cut it out, Slick." The grey-furred rabbit interrupted the dramatic monologue of the fox in the passenger seat beside her.

The russet-furred tod gave her a smirk, half-lidded emerald eyes glinting in a teasing manner.

"What? It's the eve of Halloween! Perfect time for ghost stories. Don't tell me you're afraid, Carrots."

Judy rolled her amethyst eyes as she focused on her driving, the windshield wipers squeaking steadily as they cleared her vision of the road in front of her.

She gave Nick a quick frown.

"I'm not afraid. I just don't want you to start telling a ghost story while I'm driving. It's distracting." She stated dryly.

Nick shrugged as he turned the volume up a little to the radio, only just loud enough to listen to while being able to have a conversation. He smirked, waiting for a moment before responding.

"You know what I think?"

Judy's ears fell behind her head in annoyance. She liked Nick. She really did. He was her best friend, but Sweet Cheese and Crackers and everything good and holy, he was _annoying_! The worst part about it, he did it on purpose and knew just what to say to work her nerves… like he had been doing for the past hour.

She groaned softly under her breath as her eyes saw a sign that read ' _BunnyBurrow 40 miles_.' Why did she insist on driving again? It's not like she didn't see this coming. Stuck for a couple of hours… in a car… alone with Nicholas Wilde, who takes great joy in messing with his rabbit partner and friend… Yeah, she shouldn't have been so optimistic of a stress-free drive to her hometown when she had Nick in the passenger's seat.

Nick ignored her lack of response to his question, knowing that she knew he was going to tell her his thoughts anyway.

"I think you _are_ scared of ghost stories, Fluff."

Judy sighed, paws gripping the wheel a little tighter as she scowled.

"Nick. I am not scared of ghost stories. I just never really saw what was so great about them. Ghosts _aren't real_. There is no scientific evidence of them being real. There are no such things as ghosts." She told him with conviction, rolling her eyes. "Now could you please stop distracting me while I drive. I would like to make it to BunnyBurrow without crashing."

The fox grinned and held up his paws in defense.

"Okay, okay. I was just playing around, but seriously," He gave her a curious look. "You don't believe in ghosts?"

The rabbit sighed and shot him a glance.

"No. Why? Do you?" She questioned with a teasing grin of her own.

Nick shrugged, looking out at the wet road and wooded landscape up ahead.

"To be honest, I don't know what to believe. I mean, it's possible." His eyes flicked to Judy when he heard her scoff and quickly went to defend himself. "No, hear me out. Think about it logically."

He held out a paw.

"The supernatural is technically stuff outside of the natural world, right? The natural world is ours, the world we can understand."

Judy glanced at him and slowly nodded in understanding.

"Right… _Theoretically speaking_ , the supernatural world- _if it does exist_ \- is not a part of our own." She said carefully, knowing Nick had a reputation to pick up on any slipups in her words and use them against her.

Nick grinned and waved a paw at her in agreement.

"Exactly. Now, if science is the study of the natural world then isn't it reasonable to say that it can only help define and explain what is natural. So, ergo, the supernatural can't be explained by science, and if what you say is true and there is _no_ scientific evidence to prove that ghosts exist, then that _technically_ doesn't mean that they _can't_ exist, since ghosts are a part of the supernatural world. Therefore, since ghosts are a part of the supernatural world and not the natural and can't be measured and examined through science, it is illogical and unreasonable to assume that the lack of scientific evidence can be used to support the claim that ghosts don't exist. Basically…" He smirked at the bemused rabbit in the driver's seat. "How can you know _for sure_ that ghosts _aren't_ real, Carrots?" He challenged.

Judy blinked in surprise before scowling in frustration at the rainy road ahead of her, knowing that Nick provided a good argument. How could one know without a doubt that the supernatural world doesn't exist? But…

"But by that logic, Slick. How can you be sure that ghosts _do_ exist?" She shot back, quirking an eyebrow at him.

Nick smiled at her.

"That's what's so great, Fluff. We don't! Not until we actually encounter one. It's really a thrilling mystery to ponder… and which makes ghost stories that much more enticing. Knowing that the ghosts in the stories _could_ possibly exist." He commented, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

Judy shook her head with a sigh.

"Okay, I guess you have a point, but I still don't believe ghosts exist."

The fox chuckled.

"Well, can't say I didn't try to make a believer out of you. How far do we have to go?"

Judy looked at the clock on the display of the car.

"Um, about another hour before we reach BunnyBurow city limits. Another ten minutes after that to reach my family's farm."

Nick nodded his head in understanding as he drummed his fingers on the windowsill of his car door, gazing out at the wooded landscape that crowded around the road.

The rain still beat down upon the car as Judy drove along, the beams of the headlights illuminating the road in front of them.

"You know… It is pretty creepy out here away from the city at night." He commented, watching the shadows shift as they passed the trees that lined the road.

Judy shrugged with a grin.

"Yeah, especially with it raining. Why?" She looked at him with a smirk. "Are you _afraid_ , Slick?"

Nick huffed and smiled at her.

"What?! Me? Afraid? Ha! Nice joke, Fluff. I happen to not be afraid of anything." He boasted overdramatically.

Judy rolled her eyes with a grin as she focused back on the road ahead of them when her ears perked up at the sight of something white jumping up and down by the side of the road.

"Oh my gosh, Nick! Look."

The fox turned his head and raised an eyebrow at the white clad figure jumping up and down on the side of the road, waving them down. It was a young rabbit doe in a white dress who was looking very wet and desperate.

Nick's eyes widened as he felt an instinctual chill descend his spine. This was weird. Strange kit alone on the side of an isolated country road. Yeah, nothing off about that, right? He grinned uneasily at Judy.

"Uh, we're not pulling over, are we?"

Judy gave him a disbelieving look and a scowl as she slowed the car down to pull up alongside the doe.

"Nick! We can't leave a kit out here all alone. We're officers of the law. We need to see what's wrong. Besides, it looks like she needs a ride."

Nick grimaced, knowing she was right. He shook himself and forced the unease from his mind as they came to a halt next to the young doe.

The rabbit looked relieved to see them as she stopped her hopping and quickly came to the car window as Nick rolled down his passenger side window.

She breathed out a sigh of relief as she looked through it to see the occupants inside the sedan.

"Man oh man is it great to see somebody." She laughed with a smile, clutching the front of her rain-drenched dress. Then her amber eyes caught sight of Nick grinning back at her in the passenger seat and her eyes widened, smile faltering. "Uh, you're a fox." She observed with a nervous grin.

Nick ear flicked with annoyance though his face betrayed nothing, but Judy leaned forward with a friendly smile before he could make a snarky response.

"Yeah, but don't worry. He's great. You look like you are in trouble. Need a ride?"

The teenaged rabbit doe's smile returned as she nodded.

"Uh, yeah. I had some car trouble. Are you headed towards Arroville?"

Judy grinned and gave her a nod.

"Yep, we're on our way to BunnyBurrow, but Arroville's along the way."

Nick smiled and looked over the young doe still standing in the pouring rain.

"Well, what are you waiting for. Hop in! Unless you like standing in the rain."

The teen jumped in realization and smiled gratefully as she hastily went to open the door to the backseat.

"Oh! Thank you! Thank you! You are life savers." She said as she slid into the backseat, closing the door to seal the interior from the rainy elements outside as Nick rolled up the window.

Judy twisted around to look at the younger rabbit. She could finally get a good look at her. The young girl had grey fur like her but with amber eyes. She wore a drenched dress that ran down to her knees, a blue ribbon fastened around her waist.

"So, what's your name? I'm Judy and this is Nick." She introduced, gesturing to the fox in the passenger's seat who gave the teen a lazy salute before popping a blueberry into his mouth from the carton placed on the center console.

The drenched doe smiled politely.

"Elizabeth. Elizabeth Granger, but everyone calls me Liza. Nice to meet the both of you, and thank you so much for this. I really need to get back. My parents probably think I died or something." She commented with a small laugh.

Judy smiled in kind and put the car back into drive to pull away from the side of the road and continue the trip.

"Well, you just tell us where to go."

Nick grinned and turned to the rabbit in the backseat casually.

"So, you said you had car trouble?"

Liza frowned a bit with a nod.

"Yeah, I'm not sure what happened. One minute I was driving, and the next I was on the side of the road not able to start my car." She informed with a shrug.

The fox frowned slightly.

"Man, that sucks. Anyways, welcome aboard the Carrotmobile." He greeted with a smirk, looking sideways at the rabbit driver, who only sighed and shook her head in exasperation.

Liza raised an eyebrow.

"The Carrotmobile?"

Judy flashed Nick a scowl as she responded.

"It's Nick's stupid nickname for the car. I told you once. I told you a million times, Slick. This is not the Carrotmobile!" She told the fox, who only smiled slyly.

"Oh come on." Nick teased. "It's orange. Your nickname is Carrots—"

"Which you also made up." Judy interjected, but Nick ignored her and continued on.

"—Carrots are orange. You're Carrots. It's the Carrotmobile!" He told her with a smile, raising his arms in the air, making Liza giggle in the backseat.

Judy sighed and flashed a look back at her fellow rabbit.

"You see what I have to deal with? Every. Single. Day?"

Nick scoffed and playfully nudged his partner.

"Oh come on, you know you love me."

She rolled her eyes and gave a sigh and grin.

"Do I know that? Yes. Yes, I do. But that doesn't mean you make it easy." She shot back.

Nick waved a dismissing paw.

Liza raised an eyebrow, glancing between the two.

"Is something… Are you two, err…" She awkwardly tried to ask, amber eyes looking confused.

Judy immediately caught on and began to shake her head just as Nick realized what she was asking as well.

"Oh nonononono!" The rabbit officer hastily denied with an anxious smile.

Nick flashed an embarrassed grin of his own, something that doesn't happen often for the fox.

"Err, uh, just friends. Right, Carrots?"

Judy nodded vigorously.

"Right! Err, partners! We're partners… at work not like… marriage or… anything…" She ended awkwardly, grinning apologetically after seeing Nick's accusing glare from beneath his facepalm.

Liza nodded with a look on her face that told them she didn't quite believe them but didn't press the matter. She grinned and looked at them curiously.

"So, you're partners at work. Where do you work?"

Nick covered the awkwardness between him and Judy with a cough and sly smile.

"Uh, we're cops. ZPD. Officers Wilde and Hopps at your service." He informed with a lazy salute.

The rabbit teen looked surprised, ears perking up.

"Really? I didn't think rabbits and foxes could be cops."

Judy raised an eyebrow with a smile.

"Well… We _will_ be the first, but I'm surprised you haven't heard about us."

Nick nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we got a lot of attention about a year ago for a case we cracked. You know about the Nighthowler attacks?"

Liza's brow dipped in confusion.

"Can't say I have. Oh, turn a right here, please." She instructed to Judy, who put on the blinker and turned down the street as the rain beat down upon the car and the world outside.

Instead of forest, there were more grassy fields as houses started to appear upon entering the Arroville area.

Judy glanced back at the rabbit.

"You haven't? Really? Huh. Well, I guess it's more of a Zootopia thing. Though, I come from BunnyBurrow, and they know all about it. Are you sure you haven't heard of the Nighthowler Controversy?"

Liza made a thoughtful look before shaking her head with a shrug.

"Nope. I guess I don't pay much attention to politics or what not. Anyways, turn left at Fang Road."

Nick shrugged and grinned at her.

"So, Halloween's tomorrow. Got any plans?"

Liza smiled and nodded, fiddling with her ear.

"Yup, me and my friends are going to go trick-or-treating, and then we are going to head out to the bonfire. We'll be telling ghost stories _all_ night." She informed with a grin.

Nick smirked, looking at Judy with his emerald eyes.

"Here that, Carrots? _She_ thinks ghost stories are fun."

Judy groaned.

"It isn't that I don't think they are fun. I just refuse to be scared of things that aren't even real."

Liza gave Nick a quizzical glance as she instructed Judy to turn left again. He responded with a chuckle. The fox gestured to Judy with his paw.

"Carrots, here, doesn't think ghosts are real." He teased his partner.

Judy rolled her eyes.

"Because they don't." She insisted.

"Come on, Fluff. We've been over this. There is no…"

"No way to prove that ghosts _don't_ exist. Yeah, yeah. I know, but you still can't prove that ghosts _do_ exist either." She pointed out, looking at the fox.

"But they do exist." Liza suddenly said, making Nick and Judy look at her.

She was looking at them with a serious complexion. Her white dress and grey fur was mostly damp now. Her amber eyes glinting in the dim light.

Judy frowned at her, noticing the rabbit's seriousness.

"What makes you so sure?"

Liza cocked her head at the question.

"Well, what makes you so sure that they don't exist? Coming up at the end of the road by the way. Can't miss it."

Judy nodded in confirmation, driving past houses in the countryside neighborhood with clusters of trees breaking up the grassy fields.

"Well, there isn't any proof."

"And what makes you think there needs to be proof?" Liza asked pointedly in return.

Nick smirked as Judy opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out.

"I like you, kid. You struck Carrots speechless." He commented with a chuckle.

Liza giggled as she leaned back in the seat.

"Thanks. And ghosts are real. You just never know when you'll run into one. Oh, pull up right here! Thanks for bringing me home. I appreciate it." Her voice spoke.

Judy blinked as she slowed down as they reached the end of the road. She frowned in confusion.

"Wait. What? Where is your…" She started to ask as she turned around to look at Liza only to be surprised that the rabbit had vanished. Her eyes widened as she slammed on the breaks, immediately bringing the car to a jolting stop in front of the gateway. "… _home…_ " She finished with a squeak.

Nick and Judy gaped with wide eyes at the empty backseat as the car idled outside of the cemetery.

The gateway that the headlights illuminated had the name of the cemetery in large intricate iron letters.

'Mistywood Cemetery'

It was deathly silent besides the pitter patter of rain upon the vehicle and the steady squeak of the windshield wipers.

The fox and rabbit both slowly turned their heads to meet each other's wide eyed gazes.

Nick just grinned anxiously with a gulp.

"Uh… well…" He tried, a tremble in his voice.

Judy nodded in a shocked daze.

"Yep…" She breathed meekly.

The fox glanced out the window to see the jumbled mass of eerie white tombstones that stood out from the darkness and read the sign on the archway with a gulp.

"We should…" He started.

Judy immediately began turning the car around with haste, heart thumping and a chill spread across her spine, making her hair stand on end.

"Yep." She agreed to the unspoken suggestion, tires screeching as the car raced back away from creepy place. "Nick?"

He didn't look up at her from where he was furiously tapping away on his smartphone.

"Uh, y-yeah, Carrots."

Judy gave him an anxious grin.

"I-I think I believe in ghosts now."

Nick suddenly stopped tapping on his phone, eyes enlarging to the size of saucers at something on the screen before barking out with nervous laughter. He gave her an anxious look and held up his phone.

"You better Carrots. Because Elizabeth Granger, rabbit, age fifteen, died in a car accident five years ago, buried where?" He pushed the phone closer to her jaw dropped face. "Mistywood Cemetery!

Judy's eyes bulged at the sight of the pic of the same rabbit teen that was sitting in her car just a short time earlier on Nick's phone.

Grey fur.

Amber eyes.

White dress.

 _Death certificate_.

She snapped her wide eyes back to the road in front of her.

"Oh Sweet Cheese and Crackers… We just drove a ghost to the cemetery…"

Nick gave her an uneasy smirk.

"Is it too late to tell you I told you so?

Judy shot him a glare.

"Don't you even start, Nick." She told him, a freaked-out tremor to her voice. Her grey fur standing on end on the back of her neck

"But we just witnessed—" Nick began anxiously.

"Nick! Just saw a ghost! Not in the mood to discuss!" She stated loudly and firmly.

Nick flung up his paws.

"Okay, okay." He grumbled.

"Thank you." Judy sighed, eyes glued unblinkingly upon the road in front of them, her paws clenched around the steering wheel.

Nick drummed his fingers with unease before stopping with a soft scoff. He smirked a bit with an anxious chuckle at the tense bunny in the driver's seat.

"Uh, heh heh… Err… The Vanishing Bunny Hitchhiker?" He commented dramatically before yelping at the volume of the rabbit's voice when Judy suddenly snapped at him in a stressed voice.

" _NICK! STOP TALKING_!"

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 **Yep, so that's it. Hope you like it. It was based off of some of the Vanishing Hitchhiker ghost stories I've read from the internet and such. Just thought a ghost story Zootopia fanfic was in order. ;)**

 **Be sure to check out my other stories! I try to update as often as I can, but life typically has other plans. However, I have not forgotten nor will I forget the stories. They will get done sooner or later. It just is unfortunate that it is most likely going to be later rather than sooner...**

 **Thanks! Leave a Review!**

 **StoryCrusader signing out.**


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